Plastic crisis

Plastics are choking our planet, yet there is no global consensus on how to combat this ever-growing crisis. The collapse of the Geneva negotiations on a global plastics treaty has revealed the split wide open: a ‘high-ambition’ group of nearly 70 nations, seeking global caps on virgin plastic and controls on hazardous chemicals, is pitted against a bloc of oil/petrochemical-producing countries keen on recycling, waste management and voluntary commitments. This bloc includes India, which has the dubious distinction of being the world’s biggest plastic polluter, accounting for around 20 per cent of the global plastic emissions.

New Delhi has insisted that there should not be any global listing of products or chemicals with phase-out timelines at this stage. There is no quarrel with India’s argument that due consideration must be given to national circumstances and capabilities. Ironically, the petrochemical sector, a key contributor to the Indian economy, is also a major source of microplastic pollution. The impact of such pollution on ecosystems, biodiversity, the climate and human health cannot be overemphasised. It’s a tightrope walk to strike a balance between industrial growth and environmental protection.

India and other ‘like-minded’ nations like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia need to get their act together. They may have succeeded in preventing an ‘international legally binding instrument’ to end plastic pollution, but this doesn’t diminish their responsibility towards their people and the environment. A crackdown on polluting industries can send a strong message. India should also assess the efficacy of its ban on identified single-use plastics and the shortcomings in enforcement. Eventually, all major stakeholders have to come on board — Central and state governments, the public, the industry — to help the nation reduce its alarming plastic footprint. The dream of making India Viksit, Atmanirbhar and Samridhh cannot take wings without a go-green approach.

Editorials